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Ruakura Update – Keeping our Ruakura community informed

Posted on: 10th November 2017

This is issue 3 of a regular update to keep you in the picture as to what work is planned at Ruakura and when.

RECENT PROGRESS
We’ve finished the pre-load stage on schedule and want to say a big thank you to all of our neighbours for your patience during this process.

Despite the high volume of trucks going to and from the site, we’re happy to report that we have met ourobjectives of no one (including members of the public and workers) being hurt. A lot of credit goes to our site contractor, Fulton Hogan who have completed this stage of the project very professionally and to a high safety standard. Over the next few weeks Fulton Hogan will finish off the first stage of earthworks by removing bunds and spreading topsoil on the site.

Demolition of existing buildings has continued with every effort taken to recycle materials. Steel and wood building products from the demolished buildings has been recycled for other purposes and the concrete has been crushed and recycled, with minimal waste going to landfill. Detailed design works is also underway for the port, connecting roads and the wetland area. As part of these works we are also collaborating with NZTA on the design of realigned Ruakura Road.

48 HECTARES RECEIVES CONSENT FOR INDUSTRIAL USE
We recently received resource consent for 48 hectares of industrial zoned land, south of the soon-to-be realigned Ruakura Road. The Silverdale land is set to be transformed into an industrial precinct which will complement the logistics and inland port, with sites expected to be opened in 2020.

The consented area begins near the Hillcrest and Silverdale roads intersection, spans east to the incoming Waikato Expressway and south to the suburb of Silverdale. As part of the development we are designing a wetland to provide a habitat for native species. In the New Year we are likely to seek consent for a service centre, including a fuel station and eateries providing amenities for local residents and passing motorists.

We will always strive to minimise the impact of site operations on our neighbours and the community. We thank you for your interest and patience and we welcome your feedback every step of the way.

Ruakura Progress – September 2017

Posted on: 12th September 2017

In this issue we introduce our new head leasing agents for Ruakura – JLL. We’re on track to open the inland port in early 2019, and JLL are on the case facilitating talks with prospective tenants and customers. Construction has leapt ahead over the past two months. Rock has been laid across 100 per cent of our initial six-hectare site and more than half of the total volume of rock of the pavement and preload material is now in place. We’re working with KiwiRail in the redesign of the rail siding, and we’re taking care of people and the environment as we advance these exciting plans. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more.

Ngaa mihi,

JLL join the team for Ruakura

Sam Smith, Head of Industrial for JLL

Ruakura joint venture partners Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) and LINX Cargo Care Ltd have appointed JLL, one of New Zealand’s most experienced industrial leasing teams, on to the project. Blair Morris, TGH’s GM Ruakura says JLL is already underway.

“It’s great to have a company with a global reach like JLL on board as the head leasing agents and so open to collaborating with the wider agency community to ensure full reach into the market. JLL are already supporting us with conversations in progress with more than 200 prospective tenants and customers for Ruakura,” Blair says.

Sam Smith, Head of Industrial for JLL says Ruakura is shaping up to be a game changer for the upper North Island with its combination of inland port, adjacent logistics zone and space for large-scale industrial sites amid the 480 hectare development.

“The game changing aspect for the Waikato and potentially for Auckland and other areas of the country is the genuine scale and efficiency Ruakura offers for importers and exporters to move cargo as sustainably as possible. The direct rail connections will allow many of the shipping containers to be transported by rail, removing congestion from the roads and making for safer journeys.

“Being part of the Golden Triangle makes this development really special as the Golden Triangle accounts for 50 per cent of New Zealand’s economic output,” says Sam.

At capacity the fully built out 30 hectare inland port at Ruakura will be able to process 1 million TEU (20ft shipping containers) per year. Ports of Auckland and Tauranga combined currently process around 2 million TEU per year, so Ruakura offers significant extra capacity for off-wharf cargo consolidation and marshalling.

Rail design takes shape

Rail transport operator KiwiRail has a key seat at the table for the team finalising the design on the rail siding for Ruakura. They are working alongside Ruakura’s rail design engineers WSP and the relevant experts from LINX, C3 and TGH – making decisions to ensure operational efficiency for rail freight to and from the seaports of the lower North Island, Auckland and Tauranga.

Earthworks on track

We have seen excellent progress under the direction of our head contractor Fulton Hogan with top soil stripped, subsoil drainage installed and the eastern end of the port platform already built up to finished levels ready for the final pavement to be laid once the ground settlement process has been completed. Once the ground settlement process is complete we will construct the final pavement layer, a rail siding, noise wall, screen planting services and storm water infrastructure.

Working with care

TGH General Manager for Operations, Robert Batters, says that health and safety and care for the environment are top of mind as the Ruakura project heads into spring.

“First and foremost we want everyone who comes to work to build the Ruakura inland port and logistics zone to get home safely at the end of the day. The team also wants to make sure the environment is protected and where possible enhanced. Recycling concrete and untreated timber from the demolition of old buildings to reduce the waste to landfill is just one of a number of our initiatives,” Robert says.

Earth walls and sediment control ponds have been constructed around the site to protect the awa (river). Rangatahi (young people) from Waikato-Tainui have been active in helping project ecologists Boffa Miskell to capture and transfer native fish and tuna (eels) to a suitable habitat downstream of our site.

Who’s behind Ruakura?

TGH, the commercial arm of Waikato-Tainui has formed a 50/50 JV with world class port operator LINX Cargo Care Group Ltd to develop and operate the port. Day-to-day port operations will be managed by C3, New Zealand’s largest on-wharf cargo handler. In coming months TGH, working closely with the employment team at Waikato-Tainui, will hold an employment summit to look at future job opportunities as Ruakura comes to life.

Stay in touch

Thanks for your interest. Please get in touch with any questions or suggestions
about how Ruakura can help your business grow into the future.

Ruakura Update – Keeping our Ruakura community informed

Posted on: 17th July 2017

Dear resident/neighbour,

This is issue 2 of a regular update to keep you in the picture on progress of the Ruakura development.

COMMUNITY CATCH UP
Subject to availability we would like to host a Ruakura Community Liaison meeting in August to introduce the members of the group to the operator. This will be the first of many ongoing meetings to ensure there is open communications between the owners and operators of the port and our neighbours.

RECENT PROGRESS
With mild weather over recent weeks, earthworks are moving ahead on schedule. We’re on track for completing the first stage of earthworks prior to the year end. We’ve seen excellent progress with the construction of the sediment control ponds to filter any stormwater before it leaves the site. We have stripped around 80% of the topsoil and stockpiled this adjacent to Ruakura Road for re-use at a later date. Sub-surface drainage has been installed to channel the stormwater runoff to the sediment ponds. The pre-loading of the 6ha footprint is progressing as the sub surface drainage is installed. Eventually the pre-load rock will elevate the site 1m higher than the rail line. After 12 months of settling we will strip this pre-load and then construct the pavement layers, a rail siding, noise wall, screen planting, install services and stormwater devices to the site.

Truck and trailer movements will be increasing over the next few months as the platform expands. All trucks will enter along Percival Road. You will notice the temporary Traffic Management warning signs, speed restrictions and upgrades of the site entrances to help manage traffic during this time.

LOCAL WILDLIFE
In line with our Environmental Management Plan we have been working with ecologists from Boffa Miskell to capture and transfer native fish to a suitable habitat downstream of our site. Boffa Miskell took the initiative to involve rangatahi (local youth) in this capture and transfer process to give them practical experience and gain knowledge about the world of ecology.

INLAND PORT OPERATOR
TGH recently announced our new joint venture with LINX Cargo Care Group to develop and operate the Ruakura Inland Port. A company owned by LINX, C3 Limited, which is New Zealand’s largest onwharf logistics company, will run the port’s day-today operations.

LINX and C3 share our long-term vision to transform North Island freight flows and develop the inland port in a responsible way with positive outcomes for the economy, environment and employment for the whole region.

We are targeting the opening of the inland port in the first half of 2019.

We will always strive to minimise the impact on our neighbours and the community. We thank you for your interest and patience and we welcome your feedback every step of the way.

Ruakura Progress – July 2017

Posted on: 5th July 2017

In the past week TGH has announced our new joint venture with LINX Cargo Care Group to develop and operate the Ruakura Inland Port. With their world class experience, this is a big step forward for Ruakura and all our partners working with us to create a platform for a more efficient North Island supply chain. With recent fine weather, earthworks are moving ahead on schedule and we’re on track for opening in the first half of 2019. Please read on for more info – and get in touch to discuss if Ruakura is right for your business.

Ngaa mihi,

Blair

TGH and LINX join forces

We’re proud to announce that TGH and world class port operator LINX Cargo Care Group have joined forces to develop and operate the Ruakura Inland Port.

LINX and one of its subsidiaries, C3 Limited, New Zealand’s largest on-wharf logistics company, are owned by a Brookfield Consortium which brings together global experience in port operations and infrastructure development. C3 will run the port’s day-to-day operations.

The 50/50 joint venture of TGH and LINX will take an initial 30 year lease on the inland port land at Ruakura, conditional on OIO approval. The joint venture has been welcomed by the Chair of Te Arataura, the executive committee of Waikato-Tainui, which owns Tainui Group Holdings.

“LINX has a long-term vision that matches our view of the positive environmental, social and economic advantages that must and will come from this project,” said Rukumoana Schaafhausen, the Chair of Te Arataura.

New Zealand owned Fulton Hogan has been appointed as a contractor to carry out the earthworks for the first six hectares of what will eventually be a 31 hectare inland port with the capacity to handle around one million TEU (20 foot equivalent container units) per year when fully built out.

Earthworks kicked off in mid-April, after a blessing of the site by Kiingi Tuheitia on 28 March, with a strong contingent of Waikato-Tainui representatives in attendance (see pic below).

Fine winter weather has seen excellent progress with the construction of environmental catchment areas, sub-surface drainage construction and the pre-loading of the six hectare footprint with crushed rock. This will be allowed to settle for 12 months before pavement layers, a rail siding, noise wall, screen planting and services will be completed.

Thank You

Until the next Around Ruakura, thanks for your interest and please get in touch with any questions, suggestions or enquiries about how Ruakura can assist your business to grow into the future.

Ruakura Update – Keeping our Ruakura community informed

Posted on: 7th April 2017

Dear resident/neighbour,

As you may know, Tainui Group Holdings has been working on plans for several years to develop Waikato-Tainui owned land at Ruakura into a significant work, live and play hub, anchored by a new inland port.

This is a long-term 20-30 year project aiming to develop a high quality precinct and better connect Waikato’s exporters and importers to the world.

We are now gearing up to get started on the early works to bring our plans to life. This is the first of regular updates to keep you in the picture as to what work is planned at Ruakura and when.

WHAT’S THE FIRST WORK TO HAPPEN?
Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) are starting the earthworks for the first stage of the inland port this month and will cover an area of approximately 7ha. TGH has appointed Fulton Hogan as our main contractor to complete this works. The first part of the works is to pre load the site (or to make the ground settle before we place the pavement down) which is expected to finish (weather dependant) at the end of this year. There will be a settlement period for approximately a year. Once it is settled, then pavement layers, rail siding, noise wall, screen planting and services will be completed.

WHAT WILL IT MEAN FOR TRAFFIC?
There is a possibility of additional congestion and delays as truck and trailer units enter and exit Ruakura and Percival to bring in additional crushed rock to form the base of the initial 7 hectare site. Temporary Traffic Management warning signs, speed restrictions and upgrades of the site entrances will be installed during this time to help manage traffic. There will also be environmental controls installed to ensure water runoff from the site is controlled.

HEALTH & SAFETY
Keeping people safe on the roads, and on the site is our highest priority. Our contractor Fulton Hogan is a highly safety conscious company with a track record for safe public operations and we will be monitoring feedback to ensure safe and courteous truck operations on public roads.

We will always strive to minimise the impact on our neighbours and the community. We thank you in advance for your interest and patience and we welcome your feedback every step of the way. We look forward to keeping you updated as the project moves ahead.